Back in 2 Samuel chapter 7, we
read Nathan's message from God to the king, to David. And now, beginning at verse 18
to the end of the chapter, you have David's response. It's a
prayer, but it's David's response to God for the message that he
had just received. Let's read verse 17 as well. According to all these words
and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. Then went King David in and sat
before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what
is my house that thou hast brought me hither to? And this was yet
a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also
of thy servant's house for a great, great while to come. And is this
the manner of men, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto
thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy
servant, For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart,
hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know
them. Wherefore, thou art great, O Lord God. There is none like
thee, neither is there any god beside thee, according to all
that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth
is like thy people, even like Israel? whom God went to redeem
for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do
for you great things and terrible. For thy land before thy people,
which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt, from the nations
and their gods. For thou hast confirmed to thyself
thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever, and thou,
Lord, art become their God. And now, O Lord God, the word
that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his
house, establish it forever and do as thou hast said. And let
thy name be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is
the God over Israel. And let the house of thy servant
David be established before thee. For thou, O Lord of hosts, God
of Israel, has revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build
thee a house. Therefore hath thy servant found
it in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O
Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou
hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. Therefore, now let
it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue
forever before thee. For thou, O Lord God, hast spoken
it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed
forever." That's David's response to the message of the prophet. And in that message, David was
reminded of God's past mercies. the mercies that God had already
shown him, those mercies that he'd already experienced. But
the prophet didn't stop there, did he? He leads David forward
to the future of blessings yet to come, promised blessings. Isn't that good news? I think
it's pretty safe to say that the prophet, the messenger, Nathan,
it was a joy to him to bring the message to David. It was
a joy to deliver and it was a joy to receive. It was good news
on both ends. I pray that that'll be the case
this morning. David's response is his prayer. And notice, David says truthfully,
looks at God's mercy to him past and God's promised mercy yet
to come as equally sure. Think about that. Now God, David said, Do what
you've said. Do what you've promised. What God has promised, because
it is God's Word, God making that promise, it's sure. It's as sure as if it's already
happened. Did you notice that in the reading?
What God has already done, David could look at it and say, surely
this is so, but David says, for what you've promised me yet to
come, it's just as certain, and it's just as sure, and he rejoiced
in it. Your son will build the temple,
Nathan said. But as we mentioned in the reading,
behold, a greater than Solomon is here, because not Solomon,
that son of David, but the Lord Jesus Christ himself, that Son
of David, oh, how he delighted to refer to himself as the Son
of David, is spoken of here. Again, verse 13, he, he, the
Christ, he shall build a house for my name and I will establish
the throne of his kingdom forever. Look again at verse 16. and thine
house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee. Thy throne shall be established
forever." Who could that be referring to but Christ? Let me read you
again that familiar passage where it tells us that very thing,
Isaiah chapter 9. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given. and the government shall be upon
his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful and Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no
end. There was to Solomon's, oh, but
not to this son of David. Upon the throne of David and
upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever. the zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform it. And you remember, when he went
to Mary with the news of the birth of our Redeemer, that she
should conceive by the power of God's Holy Spirit and bring
forth a son, Gabriel's message to her was along the same line.
In Luke chapter 1 verse 31, And behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus. He shall be great, greater than David, greater than Solomon,
greater than the prophets, greater than John the Baptist, greater
than angels, greater than men, None greater. He shall be great
and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David." Not to
rule that little portion of land, that little place in the world
over in Israel. Oh, no. To rule over his people,
his kingdom. And he shall reign over the house
of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be no end. In verse 18, David commences
his prayer, and he speaks of mercy's past. And what is my house, he asks,
that thou hast brought me hither to? And then in verse 19, he
speaks of mercies to come. And this was yet a small thing
in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy
servant's house for a great while to come. Mercy past, mercy to come. God's goodness in the past, God's
goodness to come. That's what old Newton said,
didn't he? delivered captain of a slave
ship, that man who made his living selling other men. God delivered that man. God saved
that man by His mighty grace. And like David, that redeemed
sinner looked back about God's mercies that had brought him
hitherto and said, this grace that's brought me safe thus far
up to this very point, may God help me never to forget that.
Brother Lloyd, it's only God's mercy and God's grace that's
kept me to this very minute. To this very minute. If He would
withdraw it, and thank God He promised He never will, but if
He should, I'd run back to the slop that He delivered me from
faster than you could bat an eye. It's grace that's brought
me safe thus far. And David said, oh, but you've
promised me thy blessings for a great while to come. And likewise, Newton said, in
grace shall lead me home. Look what David asked in the
last sentence of verse 19, this question. And is this the manner
of man, O Lord God? Is this how man acts to a man? And of course the answer is no.
No. This is God's doing, David would
write. This is the Lord's doing. All
this mercy and all this grace bringing me from a shepherd lad
to sitting on the throne of Israel. This is God's doing, and it's
marvelous in our eyes. Remember, these are not the words
of David. When he was yet a ruddy-faced
boy, the youngest son, in the house of his father Jesse, tending
the sheep. Oh, no. He's now been brought
from that, in verse 8. Now, therefore, so shall thou
say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took
thee from the sheep coat and from following the sheep to be
ruler over my people, over Israel." Verse 18. Look what King David
does. As soon as he receives this message, then went King David in and sat
before the Lord. sat before the Lord. Yes, David
is a king, but he's now in the presence of the king of kings,
Job. He's entered into the presence
of the ruler over all. He's now before that one who
himself is the only potentate, in whom is all power, Our Lord
told Pilate, you'd have no power at all against me unless God
had given to you, unless it be given you from above. Now David
is approaching that light in whom dwells that majestic being,
that perfect perfect glory and righteousness, that light that
no man can approach entirely unto. Is it any wonder that David
sets down before Him, bows before Him? He's in the presence of
the august majesty of God Almighty. I declare, where's the wonder? I think about that a lot. in
the generation that we live in, in most of the so-called worship
services that's taking place in most of all the churches around
us right now, they don't have a clue of anything like that.
One worm standing up and bragging on another worm. They claim to
be worshiping in the name of God and they're boasting on one
another. David sat down. He sat down because
he's in the presence of God. David is overwhelmed. That's
obvious, isn't it? That's obvious, isn't it, Lester?
In David's prayer, that's what seems to stand out more than
anything. David is overwhelmed. He's overcome
by God's mercy and God's grace and God's presence. In verse
18 he says, Oh Lord God, the High and Holy One, Jehovah over
all, Lord God, that being that had no beginning. Think about
that. Try that on. This little pee-wee brain of
mine just can't get a grasp of that. Had no beginning and shall
have no end. From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God. And then in verse 20, Or verse 19, David repeats it
twice, O Lord God. And then in verse 20, David says,
And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest
thy servant. David says, I can't find words
to express what I feel in my heart. Lord, he seems to say,
Lord God, you know what I'm trying to say. You know your servant's
heart. Oh, I hope and I believe I do.
Like Nathan had a message from God to David, I have a message
from God to you. And I want it to comfort you.
I want it to be a comfort to you. And if God is pleased to
bless it, it will be a comfort to you, to all God's people.
How should I do it? How should I do it? Comfort ye,
comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. But how can I do that?
When I asked John, not last Sunday, but when I was away around Christmas,
I think it was, I asked John to speak in the
morning service in my absence. And if I remember right, he said,
do you have an instruction manual? Do you have something that...
I said, no, no, John. Just do what I do. Just seek the Lord. How should
I comfort you? Point you to yourself. Point
you to yourself, Don. Points you to look within? No,
that's more than likely why you're feeling uncomfortable. If you
are, from looking within, nothing there to encourage you. As God
told the prophet, what shall I say? What shall I cry? And
the voice said, cry. What shall I cry? All flesh is
grass. All flesh is grass. That flesh
setting in the White House? Grass. Grass. Don't be alarmed. Just grass. What about His glory? Just the flower of grass. That's
all. The grass withereth and the flower
fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. And
it's gone. Surely the people is grass. Then
what shall I say? What shall I say to God's Isaiah? How shall I comfort your people,
O God? Tell them this. Behold your God. Behold your God. That was the message. And that's
what David does. That's what Nathan reminded him
of, didn't he? Behold your God. There's your
comfort. There's your comfort. Look at
verse 22 again. Wherefore, thou art great, O
Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any god
beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Thou art great, O Lord God. My title, the title of this message
is pretty close to that. How great thou art. How great
thou art. As David, in God's presence,
recalling God's mercy past, God's promised mercy to come, he's
overwhelmed. He's overwhelmed. In the introduction
to this book, The publishers, the publisher's introduction.
Far from inspired, obviously. But they made this statement.
They have a brief introduction to the book of the Bible, the
publisher of this. But they made this statement.
David's indiscretion with Bathsheba, indiscretion? That's putting
it mildly, but David's indiscretion with Bathsheba and his attempted
cover-up are probably the most recognized scripture from 2 Samuel. That's what the publisher thinks. That may be, but David didn't
think so. David wouldn't agree, and I don't
either. I don't think that the most remarkable
thing is David's sin. The most remarkable thing is God's mercy. The most remarkable
thing is God's continued mercy to David after that horrible
sin of adultery and murder. God didn't say to David, I'm
done with you. Turn, if you will, to chapter
12. Again, the prophet, after that horrible sin of taking Uriah,
a faithful soldier in David's army, taking his wife, and then having Uriah murdered. Nathan comes to him again, but
not like on the occasion we read of in chapter 7. But in chapter
12, verse 7, and Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. You're
the man. You've been unfaithful to the
nation Israel. You've caused them by this act
of blasphemy of our God. But more than that, you've been
unfaithful to your God. And thus saith the God of Israel,
I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the
hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's
house, and thy master's wife, and thy bosom, and I gave thee
the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had not been little,
I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore
hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his
sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and
hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with
the sword of the children of Ammon." Did God continue and say, I'm
done with you, David. Louis, he just went too far. My soul, in the light of such
mercy and grace and goodness, to do such a thing? Would God say, you've crossed
the line, I cast you off. Depart from me. No. Look in verse 13. Are you still
there in chapter 12? Verse 13, And David said unto
Nathan, I sinned against the Lord. You're right. I'm guilty. I'm guilty. I've got no defense. And Nathan
said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. and thou shalt not die." I declare,
to me, that's the most remarkable thing, is it not? I put away
your sin. That's exactly when David sat
down and wrote this. Blessed is he whose transgression
is forgiven. whose sin is covered. Blessed
is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no guile. I acknowledge my sin unto thee,
and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my
transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity
of my sin." Selah. Pause. Stop. Selah. Take five. Think about what was just read,
what was just sung. Thou forgave us my iniquity. Selah. That's the most remarkable
thing to David. And it is at this center
here, his mercy. The hymn writer asked the question,
How can it be? Oh, how can it be that thou should
love a soul like me? Oh, how can it be? And the answer is not because
David deserved it. No, no, no. But because the son
of David deserved it. He was forgiven. for Christ's
sake. David didn't merit it. Oh, but
David's redeemer did. Did he not? That's pretty much
exactly what David says. Turn, if you will, to chapter
23. Let's read these familiar words again. It was for Christ's
sake. Verse 3, this is David speaking. Well, verse 1. Now, these be
the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said,
and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the Spirit of
the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue. The God
of Israel said, the rock of Israel spoke to me. He that ruleth over
men must be just, ruling in the fear of God, and he shall be
as the light of the morning when the sun rises. Even a morning
without clouds as the tender grass springeth out of the earth
by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with
God." Is there anybody here that can't say the same? Is there
any child of God here that can't take these words as their own?
Boy, I can't. although my house be not so with
God. Yet, yet, he had made with me
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things ensured, this is
all my salvation and all my desire, although he
make it not to grow. That's why David's forgiven.
That's why God giveth and he giveth and he giveth more grace
for Christ's sake. You won't die, David. God has
put away your sin. And God has put away our sins.
Christ was made sin for us. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. And oh, what a sweet song it
is. There is now, now, there is therefore now, right now. You say, Larry, I'm feeling so
low I could sit on a penny and swing my leg. Right now, right
now, there is no condemnation. Oh, but Larry, I've sinned. I've
sinned. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. Is it any wonder David sat down
in the presence of such a God as that? David seems now to go
from the gifts of God to the giver, to God himself. He says, Thou art great. Thou
art great. This response to the being of
God. The person of God is not unique
to David, is it? But we find this common reaction. To all those God is pleased to
reveal something of himself to. This is exactly what Moses said
when he's looking over God's power and greatness on behalf
of himself and the children of Israel. This is what he's saying
at the Red Sea. Sounds just like what David said.
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee? Glorious in holiness, fearful
in praises, doing wonders. Wonders. Job did the same thing,
did he not? Did he not? Then Job answered,
when the Lord appears, Job answered the Lord and said, I know that
thou can do everything, and no thought can be withholden from
thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore
have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for
me. I was way over my head, Job said. Here I beseech thee and
I will speak. I will demand of thee and declare
thou unto me. I've heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee. Are you going to strut
now, Job? No. I abhor myself and repent
in dust and ashes. That's the common response to
any sinner that God is pleased to reveal himself to. You know
there's nothing even exists to whom God can, or rather that
God can compare himself to. Now you think about that. There's
nothing, nothing that exists that we can even compare God
to. This is what he says himself
in Isaiah 40. Listen to this. This is God speaking. Isaiah 40 verse 18. To whom then
will ye liken me? To whom then will ye liken God? And what likeness will ye compare
unto Him? Have ye not known? Have ye not
heard? Have ye not been told from the
beginning? Have ye not understood from the
foundations of the earth? It is he that satteth upon the
circle of the earth. And the inhabitants thereof are
as grasshoppers, and stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. that bringeth the princes to
nothing, he maketh the judges of the earth a vanity. To whom
then will ye liken me, or shall be my equal, saith the Lord. Let up your eyes on I, and behold,
who created these things, that bringeth out their host by number? He calleth them all by names,
by the greatness of his might, for he that is strong in power,
not one How great thou art. And different men, we could go
throughout the Word of God to illustrate that, but different
men living at different times, hundreds of years apart, yet
when in the presence of God, when made aware of something
about God, They all have the same testimony. Exactly the same. How great, my soul, how great
you are. They speak with one voice. I wonder why. I wonder why. How can that be? Because I am
the Lord, I change not. That's why. He doesn't adapt
himself to the times. He doesn't stoop to man's idea
of him. or what man would like him to
be, or what depraved man has carved that idol out of their
own vain imagination. Oh no, God doesn't stoop to that.
God is high and lifted up. He's where He always is, and
He tells sinners, you bow to Me. You come down to Me. I'll not do so to you. Oh, what
a God. I change not. judgment against Israel was this. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether
such a one as thyself. My soul, that could have been
written this morning, couldn't it? Huh? Couldn't it? No, we don't attempt, waste time or
tickle someone's ears trying to prove the existence of God.
God doesn't. You turn to the very first verse
of Holy Scripture, in the beginning, God. There it is. No explanation. He doesn't stoop to say, well,
let me prove this to you. In the beginning, God. No debate. I like what Martin Luther said
to a contemporary of his. that contended for man's will
at the expense of God's will, man's right at the expense of
God's right, man's glory instead of God's glory. And Martin Luther
said to him, man, your God is just too small. Your God is too
small. Men may strut like peacocks before
other men, before one another, but not before God. What a cunning
stroke. What a cunning stroke it was.
by the father of lies when he didn't deny Christ but replaced
him with an imposter. Doesn't say to our religious
generation, no, no, no, no, there's not the Christ. Oh, yeah, there's
a Christ. Here he is. But he's another Jesus. And our
Lord said that's how it would be. In answer to this disciple's
question, He said, take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew
24, for there shall arise false Christ. False Christ. And they'll deceive many. Therefore,
if they say unto you, here's Christ, there's Christ, don't
go after them. Don't believe them. And if anybody
stands up before you, whether it's me or any other man, and
tells you of a Christ that can't have His way, that talks to you
about a God that is not God over all, that's an imposter. That's
not the God of the Bible. That's not Christ. Don't go after
Him. Don't go after him. Many have
and many are deceived. We see it all around us. All
around us. We have loved ones that's been
deceived by that other Christ, that imposter. They profess faith
in the Christ that no more resembles the Lord of the Bible, the Christ
of Scripture, than a pig man. They don't have anything in common.
They're all together like the people that made them. We see this illustrated in the
songs that are sung about this imposter. Me and Jesus. Me first, you notice. Me and
Jesus have our own thing going. Can you imagine hearing that
and sitting down before the presence of that pygmy? held in contempt. Another one,
let's all go down to the river. There's a man there walking on
the water. Remember, that was so popular years ago. Let's go
look at this sideshow. And another one came along, put
your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. He's my little
buddy. That's not the Lord Jesus Christ.
You compare those ignorant ditties to something like this. Oh, Lord my God, when I in awesome
wonder consider all the world thy hands have made. I see the stars. I hear the rolling
thunder. I power throughout the universe
displayed. Let that dawn on a man, and what
will he say? How great thou art. How great
thou art. To God be the glory. Great things
he hath done, not trying to do. He hath done. And oh, what about
this one? The bliss, John, oh, the bliss
of this glorious thought All my sins, not in part, but
the whole, were nailed to His cross and
I bear them no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Thou art greater than I ever
imagined. Is he not child of God? Child
of God. Oh, isn't that comforting? God's
own child. Don't be concerned. Don't pray
about whether you'll eat or drink or be clothed with. Your heavenly
Father knoweth. Father, he prayed in John 17
right before he was arrested, betrayed. Father, keep them in
your name. Keep them. I've loved them and you love
them with the same love that you've loved me, Christ said.
Fear not, little flock. It's your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. It's your father's good pleasure.
Well, if he can't do what he pleases, then fear greatly. But our Lord says, oh no, no
need to fear. It's your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. And your father says, I shall
do all my pleasure, saith the Lord. I read in a bulletin I
received the other day an article, an old preacher that lived many
years ago in the 1700s, John Bearidge, I think is how you
pronounce that. But he wrote this. He says, suppose you had fallen
into a great distress and debt, and a lawyer's letter comes to
your house bringing the tidings that your person will be seized
unless your debts are paid within a month. And while this is being pursued,
a friend of yours, an acquaintance drops in, and he sees the distress,
the anguish on your face, and asks you what's wrong, and you
show him the letter. And he reads it, and a sympathetic tear drops
from his eyes, and he says, well, old friend, I don't have the
cash with me right now, but I'll engage to pay all your debt before
the month is out. Now, if you thought this friend
wasn't able to do it, or wasn't to be believed or trusted, it
would bring you no joy, no relief. But if that friend was able and
faithful and willing and trustworthy, it would bring you instant relief.
A firm reliance on his word would take away your burden and set
your mind at ease even before the debt was paid. Well, sir,
God's word deserves more credit than the words of men. No one
ever trusted our Lord and was confounded. And where the mind
has stayed on Christ, it will keep him in perfect peace before
deliverance even comes." David will have to hurry. Verse 18,
look what David says, "'Who about, O Lord God?' Oh, he thinks much of his God,
but he doesn't have much to say about himself, does he? Who am
I, O Lord God? And that seems like an appropriate
response, does it not? Really the only true response.
In the light of such mercy and grace to such a sinner, and the
promise of glory to come, who am I, O God? Imagine, imagine. Love with an everlasting love. Turn, if you will, to Luke 15.
Love with an everlasting love, chosen in Christ to salvation. One of those blessed, blessed,
indescribably blessed people that he came to save from their
sins. One of those for whom he was
made sin and trod the wild press alone. One of those for whom
he attained eternal redemption. All of that, oh my soul, who
am I, oh Lord? You should do such things too.
And yet, there was a time all of that meant nothing to me.
It meant nothing to me. Nothing to me. Like this prodigal son in Luke
15. Until he came to himself. This prodigal came to himself.
He woke up. God's mercy and grace, the death
of Christ, the shedding of his precious blood meant nothing
to me until but God called me by his grace. And look at verse
20, the prodigal, and he arose and came to his father, but when
he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him and the son said
unto him, I've sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am
no more worthy to be called thy son. But the Father said to his
servants, bring forth the best robe and put it on him. And put
a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither
the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry for this
my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found
and they began to make merry." I read that last night, and I
thought, the Father killed the sacrifice
for me. God Almighty plunged the sword
of divine justice into the very heart of his Son, his only begotten
Son, for me. And now in Christ Jesus, I who
once was far off and made nigh by the blood of Christ, the Father
said to this prodigal son, put the best robe on him. The
very best robe. My son's robe. Perfect righteousness. There's not a spot or a wrinkle
or any such thing. There's no sin. Put that on him.
On me? Me? Dressed in his righteousness
alone, I'm faultless to stand before his throne? Me? And you
know what? The Father said, put the very
best robe on him and he'll never Never take it off. Never take
it off. Is it any wonder David said,
O Lord God, who am I? Who am I? One of my favorite
hymns of the 300,000, well, that might be a stretch. The hundreds
that Mr. Fortner has written is one entitled,
My Soul Consider. My soul, consider this great
thought, the wondrous works which God has wrought, his works from
all eternity, my God has done them all for me. Redeemed by
blood, preserved by power, unto that great appointed hour, when
God in mercy came to me, he gave me life and set me free. My God
has never, never failed. His grace and power have prevailed. My heart, my soul, my life he
holds by sovereign grace within his fold. Oh, that demands a
response. And so, my God, I'll praise your
name, exalt your grace, and spread your fame. Eternal love, eternal
sovereign love and grace, compel my heart to sing thy praise. Let's do that now. God bless
you.